Digital_Fashion_MarinaStrotz_4

Drawing workshop 2

Drawing our peers and this time peers drawing me.

First half: Focus was really on the shadows, large block colours and then overlaid with more finer details to bring out our garment.

Second half: Fashion students to learn from the architecture students in ways on how to turn their drawings into vector lines and then using the resources and technology available at the university, to have their line drawings laser cut or 3D printed. The aim was to familiarise the fashion students, and some of the architecture students, on how the technology can aid design and offer new solutions, as well as make them aware of different ways to present their work.

Process 1: Etching a JPEG using the lasercutter.

-Take scans of drawings into a photo editing software, such as photoshop, convert the picture into black and white and up the contrast.

Here are before, between and after photos.

As you can see, the contrast could have been increased on our image to bring out the lines more. This drawing was etched on aeroply, which has really nice wood grain that is apparent in the final product.

Process 2: Cutting and etching

-There are a few different ways and different cad programmes available, such as Vectorworks and AutoCAD to turn your drawing into vector lines. When using Vectorworks, it is easiest to copy and paste or import your picture and draw over it. Using AutoCAD, it may be easiest to take the drawing into Adobe illustrator first and tracing the lines which can then be exported as a dwg.

-When you have your vector works, make sure to make classes with different colours, as this will be important to differentiate between lines to be cut and lines to be etched only. When cutting, ensure that all your cutting lines meet.  In AutoCAD, use the command “overkill” to make sure that you don’t have lines on top of each other, as this will make the laser-cutting take a lot longer as it will end up going over the same lines again.

-Export as a DXF file. The lasercutting technician will then send your vector lines to etch and cut as your classes.

Here are before, between and after photos.

We have now set up a facebook group for our group, so if the fashion students want any hand using this technology again, when they start their Abstract module next week, we can easily help them and arrange a meeting. Likewise, if  we need help to learn more about fashion techniques or how to combine materials differently, they will be there to help us. Collaborative.